Multi-media exhibition in Delhi reflects India's cultural diversity

New Delhi: Paintings by the Bhil tribals of Madhya Pradesh and Rathwa telling creative myths of Pithora Dev sit alongside reprints of 15th century manuscripts at an exhibition inaugurated in the National Capital on Thursday.

Reflecting the cultural diversity of the country and offering a rare glimpse into tribal lives and lore in the audio-visual medium, ‘Abhivyakti’, the three-day exhibition, was unveiled as part of a series of events hosted under ‘Mapping Indian Art, Culture and Languages’ at the Lalit Kala Akademi in central Delhi.

"The mythical epics of Mahabharata and Ramayana are expressed through the performing masks in Assam, Orissa and West Bengal", a representative of the gallery said.

On display are leather puppets from Andhra Pradesh, paintings made on the walls of the tribal houses of the Rathwas of Gujarat and the Bhils of Madhya Pradesh. Objects used in the homes of the Saoras of Andhra Pradesh, the famous paintings in the Warli style of Maharashtra and Madhubani of Bihar are all on display at the exhibition.

"It was very difficult to pick and choose from such a vast trunk of cultural strength. The idea of this exhibition is to show how diverse we are as a nation and how each state has its own tradition and culture that pass from generation to generation," said a representative.

The Akademi has sourced the masks, puppets and paintings from the Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya in Bhopal. Reprints of manuscripts have been taken from the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, where the originals are kept. Sculptures are from the Akademi, and contemporary masks have been sourced from Nav Siddharth Art Group, Delhi.